Income & Economy in Wilkes-Barre, PA
Household income, poverty rates, employment, and economic data — 2023 ACS Data
Income Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Median Household Income
$47,970
-34% vs national
Per Capita Income
$25,581
-31% vs national
Poverty Rate
21.1%
+55% vs national
Gini Index
0.4488
0 = perfect equality
Unemployment
8.3%
+60% vs national
SNAP Recipients
27.5%
of households
How Wilkes-Barre Compares
Source: Census ACS (2023)Wilkes-Barre vs Similar Cities
Source: Census ACS (2023)Compared to cities with under 10,000 residents. Wilkes-Barre is highlighted.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Where Do You Stack Up?
Enter your household income to see how you compare to other households in Wilkes-Barre. The median household income here is $47,970.
Income Distribution
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Employment Snapshot
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Unemployment Rate
8.3%
+63% vs PA avg
Labor Force
21,210
Employed
19,401
Mean Commute
19 min
How People Get to Work
Source: Census ACS (2023)Employment by Sector
Source: Census ACS (2023)Education & Workforce
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Bachelor's Degree+
12.5%
of adults 25+
High School Diploma+
37.8%
of adults 25+
Median Age
35.3
Work from Home
7.4%
of workers
The median household income in Wilkes-Barre, PA is $47,970, which is 34.5% below the national average of $73,224. Per capita income is $25,581. The poverty rate of 21.1% is higher than the PA state average of 11.3%. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.4488, where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 represents maximum inequality. The unemployment rate is 8.3%, compared to the state average of 5.1%. 12.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The average commute time is 19 minutes, with 7.4% working from home.